with Isobel. The other girl would only take it as proof that Miss Tasker would be just ashappy continuing as the village schoolmistress as she would be marrying Mr Ames, and Lavinia was by no means convinced that this would be the case.
Whilst they had been at the vicarage having tea, Mr Ames had reached out for another biscuit and Miss Tasker had leaned over to smack his hand. Mr Ames had looked at his bride with an arrogant expression and reached out for a biscuit once more. Isobel had given Lavinia a knowing look before strolling over to the window. Lavinia had paused before following her a moment or two later and had thus seen something out of the corner of her eye that Isobel had missed. Having taken the biscuit, Ames had looked at Miss Tasker again, broken it in two, compared the pieces and given her the bigger one. The tiny incident had been over in a flash, but it had almost had the appearance of a sacrament . It had made Lavinia wonder whether perhaps the attachment between Miss Tasker and Mr Ames was deeper than anyone suspected.
Isobel may have spoken in fun about taking the vicar for herself, but Lavinia decided that she would do all that she could to make sure that her flirtatious friend did not destroy the plain little schoolmistress’s romance. Miss Isobel Macclesfield, with her looks and her more than adequate dowry, could attract a large number of men with very little difficulty. Miss Tasker only had one, and she would keep him, if Lavinia had any influence in the matter!
After they had returned to the house, Miss Wheatman took charge of the grass specimens. ‘We may perhaps lay them out together when Miss Macclesfield is feeling better,’ she said, as she went up the stairs. ‘I will take them up to the schoolroom where we will have plenty of room.’
‘Very well,’ agreed Lavinia. She was about to go upstairs when her eye was caught by a picture which was hanging in the hall. It was of Vauxhall Gardens. For a time, she stood looking up at it, trying to reconcile the artist’s view with what she recollectedfrom her visit there. At last deciding that there must have been quite a degree of artistic licence used, she turned to go up the stairs herself in order to put off her bonnet.
‘Miss Muir.’ She turned to find that the Earl of Thurlby was standing at the other end of the hall, looking rather grim. ‘A word, if you please.’
It was the first time that she had seen him since his departure the previous day, and she had had no notion that he would be returning so soon. Her heart gave a little lurch at the sight of him and she could feel herself blushing, for no accountable reason.
To hide her confusion, she hurried over to him, laying a hand on his arm. ‘My lord, you are back,’ she said. ‘You look disturbed. How have you left my godmother? How did she withstand the journey? I do trust that she managed to reach her friend’s side in time.’
He inclined his head gravely. ‘My mother stood up very well to the rigours of the journey,’ he replied. ‘Her friend continues to be seriously ill. Judging that I would be very much in the way, I set off for home last night.’ He paused briefly. ‘If you would come with me, I would be grateful for the favour of a word with you in private.’ He gestured towards his study. She entered the room and he followed her, very correctly leaving the door a little open.
‘My lord?’
He directed her to a chair, and when she had taken her place, he walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He was silent for a time, her sympathy having rather taken the wind out of his sails. ‘In the absence of my mother, I feel it incumbent upon me to say something about your behaviour,’ he said eventually.
‘My behaviour?’ Lavinia echoed.
‘I wish that it was not necessary, but you have made it so. To begin with, I feel that I must take issue with you concerning your conduct towards Miss Wheatman. I found her standing in the hall this
Whilst they had been at the vicarage having tea, Mr Ames had reached out for another biscuit and Miss Tasker had leaned over to smack his hand. Mr Ames had looked at his bride with an arrogant expression and reached out for a biscuit once more. Isobel had given Lavinia a knowing look before strolling over to the window. Lavinia had paused before following her a moment or two later and had thus seen something out of the corner of her eye that Isobel had missed. Having taken the biscuit, Ames had looked at Miss Tasker again, broken it in two, compared the pieces and given her the bigger one. The tiny incident had been over in a flash, but it had almost had the appearance of a sacrament . It had made Lavinia wonder whether perhaps the attachment between Miss Tasker and Mr Ames was deeper than anyone suspected.
Isobel may have spoken in fun about taking the vicar for herself, but Lavinia decided that she would do all that she could to make sure that her flirtatious friend did not destroy the plain little schoolmistress’s romance. Miss Isobel Macclesfield, with her looks and her more than adequate dowry, could attract a large number of men with very little difficulty. Miss Tasker only had one, and she would keep him, if Lavinia had any influence in the matter!
After they had returned to the house, Miss Wheatman took charge of the grass specimens. ‘We may perhaps lay them out together when Miss Macclesfield is feeling better,’ she said, as she went up the stairs. ‘I will take them up to the schoolroom where we will have plenty of room.’
‘Very well,’ agreed Lavinia. She was about to go upstairs when her eye was caught by a picture which was hanging in the hall. It was of Vauxhall Gardens. For a time, she stood looking up at it, trying to reconcile the artist’s view with what she recollectedfrom her visit there. At last deciding that there must have been quite a degree of artistic licence used, she turned to go up the stairs herself in order to put off her bonnet.
‘Miss Muir.’ She turned to find that the Earl of Thurlby was standing at the other end of the hall, looking rather grim. ‘A word, if you please.’
It was the first time that she had seen him since his departure the previous day, and she had had no notion that he would be returning so soon. Her heart gave a little lurch at the sight of him and she could feel herself blushing, for no accountable reason.
To hide her confusion, she hurried over to him, laying a hand on his arm. ‘My lord, you are back,’ she said. ‘You look disturbed. How have you left my godmother? How did she withstand the journey? I do trust that she managed to reach her friend’s side in time.’
He inclined his head gravely. ‘My mother stood up very well to the rigours of the journey,’ he replied. ‘Her friend continues to be seriously ill. Judging that I would be very much in the way, I set off for home last night.’ He paused briefly. ‘If you would come with me, I would be grateful for the favour of a word with you in private.’ He gestured towards his study. She entered the room and he followed her, very correctly leaving the door a little open.
‘My lord?’
He directed her to a chair, and when she had taken her place, he walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He was silent for a time, her sympathy having rather taken the wind out of his sails. ‘In the absence of my mother, I feel it incumbent upon me to say something about your behaviour,’ he said eventually.
‘My behaviour?’ Lavinia echoed.
‘I wish that it was not necessary, but you have made it so. To begin with, I feel that I must take issue with you concerning your conduct towards Miss Wheatman. I found her standing in the hall this
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